If choosing between hundreds of majors and over 5,000 colleges is intimidating to adults, imagine what it feels like to teens who are often asked what they want to study and where they want to go to college.

Getting in to college is a complicated, time-consuming and stressful process. Students with adult support can make better decisions under less stress and complete the process more efficiently.

The biggest mistake made by both students and parents in this process is trying to do what they hear others are doing. While listening to other parents and students can yield helpful information, parents and students often express anxiety if they are not doing what they perceive others to be doing. However, following the herd is not the best recipe for everyone. The best approach is to consider the gifts of the student, the budget for college and the choices that make the most sense for the student and the family. This approach requires teamwork between the parent, student and advisors and yields a much better fit for the student with much less stress.

This time of year I get calls from parents and high school seniors who have not started the college process. They are not concerned about how late in college application season it is, they tell me, because they are applying to colleges that have "rolling admissions". My heart sinks when I hear this. Coincidentally, these families are often in lower income brackets.

What these students and parents do not know is that although they may be admitted to a college, they are much less likely at this point to be awarded merit aid.

There is no insurance policy against academic accidents. Occurring most frequently during the freshman year of college, such accidents result in academic probation, suspension and dismissal. Recovery is difficult, expensive and time-consuming.

Like car accidents, student academic failure most often occurs due to inattention, a lack of preparation and inaccurate beliefs about what it takes to succeed. 

Student attention to academic tasks is sometimes hijacked by new freedoms, student over-involvement in campus activities, video games and substance abuse.